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Pereira earned a title opportunity against then-dominant champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 last November after only three fights inside the Octagon. And, as he had done in 2016 and 2017, the Brazilian proved to have the New Zealander's number.
"Poatan" is poised to defend his title against "The Last Stylebender" at UFC 287 next weekend after dethroning him with a late knockout at Madison Square Garden.
Nonetheless, much speculation has surrounded Pereira's next actions, with many speculating that his rematch with Adesanya will be his final bout at 185 pounds due to the severe weight cut he undergoes to reach the limit.
During a recent episode of the MMArcade Podcast, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker discussed the possibility of a heavyweight move for the man who presently rules his class.
While too much focus is often made on some fighters moving weight classes, the matter is more than warranted when it comes to Pereira.
"I think the talk (of moving up) for him, in particular, is very warranted because he's a huge dude," Whittaker said. "He is monstrously big and he struggles with the cuts. I think he's 35 now as well, so the cuts aren't getting easier... I think the talk about him going to heavyweight is definitely warranted. I think he has to move up in weight."
"His striking is world caliber... I think he'd have a lot of success in the heavier weight divisions," Whittaker assessed. "(But) I'd stay well away from Jon Jones. I've seen Pereira's wrestling. I'm not gonna say it's terrible, but you stay well away from Jon Jones (laughs)."